


If it Fits

by HawkyBarton



Series: OTP and Fanfic Brigade (Prompts galore) [10]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Storyteller (TV)
Genre: Fairy tale Avengers, In Honor of Valentine's Day, M/M, Sapsorrow Crossover, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:23:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkyBarton/pseuds/HawkyBarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of the story "Sapsorrow" from BBC's Storyteller. </p>
<p>Clint as the Princess, and Phil as the Prince.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If it Fits

****Once Upon a time, long ago, there was a little kingdom in the middle of a huge wooded area. In this kingdom that tended to thrive on their own resources; lived a widowed king, his one daughter, and his two songs.

The Queen of the land had died many years ago after the birth of the eldest child, the Prince of the Kingdom, Clinton. Ever since his birth, his siblings treated Clinton (Clint as he likes to be called) like a murderer for taking their mother away from them.

Clint could have fought them for this (and boy could he, he was _easily_ the most athletic, and smartest, and kindest, and overall the best of the three) but since he knew he was still the ‘runt’ of the litter, he held his tongue and went about his business.

You see, while Barney (his brother) was learning how to rule the kingdom, and his sister Maria was learning how to be a proper wife, and his father was bubbling about missing his mother, Clint was outside all day.

Clint loved to hunt (without killing any animals of course, it was more a game of hide and seek with the animals), and he just _loved_ to be around the wildlife. Clint was so avid about the animals that the kingdom had come to calling him the ‘Animal Prince’.

Well, this continued on for years and years until Clint had brushed past his 18th summer by a hair or two.

Anyway, because the king had finally realized that all of his children had grown up and were about to go on and live their own lives, he decided it was time to seek another wife to stand by his side in the kingdom.

Now, the rule of the kingdom was no ordinary one. To become the next Queen of the kingdom, the woman had to try on the wedding ring that had been passed down through the ages, and only if the ring was a _perfect_ fit could the woman marry the Queen.

The only problem was that this ring had been passed down through a long line of women who had very muscular fingers. So, though the single women in the kingdom didn’t have scrawny fingers, none were so big as to fit the ring.

It was two weeks after the first woman had tried on the ring that our tale truly begins. It was getting just past midday and all of the eligible maidens that had come to the castle had gone home, dejected. The king, also feeling very dejected, went to his bedchambers to think about his late wife.

It was after both the king, and the royal guards left, that two heads popped out from behind the wall at the back of the room the ring sat in. It was Barney and Maria, who had watched the entire scene in faint disgust.

“Disgusting, the lot of them! Who are they to come in here and try to take the thrown, which is _obviously_ mine?!” Barney said to his sister Maria.

Maria tutted and walked over to the ring, “Such disgrace to almost _throw_ themselves at father, an old man who has no cause for weddings! They just want the thrown and all of father’s money”

Barney smirked and followed her, “You know sister. I have an idea”

Maria turned around, “Oooooh. Tell me! I _love_ ideas”

Barney turned and crouched next to the ring, “We should try on the ring and see which one it fits! Since father _obviously_ cannot marry us, we can take the crown, and rule the kingdom… Together”

Maria giggled and got her knees next to her brother, “That sounds wonderful! Shall I go first?”

Barney nodded, “Ladies always go first”

Maria giggled again and grabbed the ring and slid it on to her finger. Unfortunately, Maria got her father’s bone structure and the ring was too big for her finger. “Oh bugger, here Barney – you try”

Barney smirked and grabbed the ring off of his sister’s finger and slid it onto his own. Unfortunately, his finger was just a tad too big, which caused the ring to get stuck.

Maria and Barney were struggling to get the ring off when Clint, noticing the scene, jogged into the room “May I be of service?”

Barney and Maria glared at their brother.

“Go away Clint!” screeched Maria.

“You cannot help Clint!” barked Barney.

Clint smiled at them, “I am certain I can help. Besides, father is coming back and you don’t want him to catch you with that on, do you?”

Barney and Maria spent precious seconds before looking at each other, only to thrust Barney’s hand at Clint.

Clint nodded and grabbed Barney’s hand, quickly wrenching the ring on Barney’s finger and sliding it off.

“Ow! That hurt Clint!”

Clint was about to apologize when the king begin to walk into the room with the guards and advisors. Clint, being too far away to put the ring back on the pedestal, thought quickly and slid the ring onto his ring finger.

Unfortunately for him, it fit like a glove.

The king smiled at his children and brushed past them, only to pause in horror at the fact that the ring was gone.

“Where is it? Where is your mother’s ring?”

Barney and Maria, not wanting to get in trouble, thought quickly.

“Oh father, we tried to stop him!” cried Maria.

“He kept alluding us!” cried Barney.

The king, confused at his elder children’s cries, turned to look at the slowly paling Clint. “Clint? Did you try on the ring son?”

Clint, distraught over his sibling’s claims, nodded sadly.

“Oh Clint… Please tell me-”

Clint pulled out his hand with the ring sitting perfectly on his finger, “I’m sorry father”

The advisors all gasped, “Sire! You must marry the Prince!”

Clint paled.

_*******_

Clint had been holed up in his room for three days with the animals, making a plan to get out of the wedding, when the king finally knocked on his door.

“Clint? Son? We… We must make discussions for the wedding”

Clint, dreading his decision but the wedding even more, stood up and walked to the door.

Opening the door a crack, Clint saw his father, his siblings, and the royal advisors all waiting outside his door.

Clearing his throat, Clint spoke clearly. “I wish for a suit that is pale as the moon. Give me this and we shall wed”

With those words, Clint closed the door in their faces.

Maria and Barney turned to each other and made a face. “A suit as pale as the moon? Who does he think he is?!”

The king sighed and looked at his advisors, “Call the royal dressers and arrange for a suit that is pale as the moon, so that we can wed”

The advisors ran off immediately.

 

*******

Clint and the animals were steadily making their way through their plan two weeks later when Clint got another knock at his door.

Walking over, Clint opened the door a crack to look at the king, his siblings, the advisors, and the royal dressers smoothing down his suit. The dressers wheeled the suit into Clint’s room but weren’t allowed all the way inside.

Clint smiled a little sadly, “That suit is indeed as pale as the moon. This shall be perfect for the ball the night of the wedding. Now I require a suit as shimmering as the stars. Bring me this and we shall wed”

With those words, Clint closed the door in their faces.

The King closed his eyes in defeat and turned to the dressers, the two men ran off to start on the second suit.

Maria and Barney scoffed and started to walk down the hallway, “So greedy! _Two_ suits? Who does he think he is?”

 

*******

It was two weeks later to the day that Clint got the third knock on his door. Opening it a crack, Clint allowed the dressers to slide the second suit into the room.

“This suit is indeed as shimmering as the stars above. This suit will be perfect for the wedding. Now I need a suit as bright as the sun”

The King’s eyes bugged, “A _third_ suit? Son, what do you need all of these suits for?”

Clint smiled sadly at his father. “One suit for the ball the night of the wedding. One suit for the wedding, and a third suit for the lunch after the wedding. Three suits needed for a perfect wedding. Bring me this last suit as we shall wed”

With those words, Clint closed the door in their faces.

The King didn’t have to even look at the dressers this time, the two exhausted fellows were already off to try and find a fabric that is as ‘bright as the sun’.

Barney and Maria glared at Clint’s door and huffed about. “Three suits! What a little greedy monster! Who needs three suits for a wedding?”

 

*******

Clint and his little animal friends had finally finished their plans when the fourth, and final knock, sounded on his door.

Opening the door, Clint found the dressers, the advisors, his siblings, the kings, and several guards waiting outside his door. Allowing the dressers to slide the last suit into his room, Clint looked at his father. “This suit really is as bright as the sun. This will be perfect for the lunch after the wedding. We shall wed on the morrow”

With those words, Clint closed the door in their faces. Everyone but the king slowly moved away to go prepare for the wedding tomorrow. The king, staring forlornly at his son’s door, just nodded. “Yes… We shall wed… On the morrow”

 

~

That night when everyone was still preparing for the wedding, Clint, with his animal friends, ran far away from the castle.

You see, for the past 6 weeks, Clint and his animal friends had been hatching a plan for Clint to get out of the wedding. In their spare time, all of the animals had been collecting their fur, sticks, and leaves from the forest and the animals. They would bring these all to Clint and he had been fashioning them into a huge fur outfit.

Clint wrapped the outfit around to become, and suddenly his handsome looks become ugly and dirty.

In the morning, when the King knocked on the door and found no answer, the guards kicked open the door and were shocked at what they found.

Inside the room were animals of all sorts, all scattering about, trying to escape from the people at the door. There was no Clint, nor the three suits, or any of his hunting supplies. There was no note, no apology for leaving. The King looked at the room and felt his heart break at the loss of his child.

 

*******

It was a year or two later when we next see our hero. The setting was a kingdom far larger than the one that Clint had grown up in, and Clint had found work inside the castle of the Kingdom’s Prince Phillip, soon to be king.

Prince Phillip was very mild-mannered looking, and had a personality that demanded that everything be done his way or be punished. The Prince was a strict, but fair ruler, so the kingdom lived in relative peace.

Clint, whose appearance was still one of fur and ugliness, had taken on the name of ‘Straggletag’ in the castle. He was the one who cleaned the floors and weeded the garden, who took care of the geese near the palace, and he also chased out all of the mice in the castle because the cats would not do so.

It was bright and sunny morning when the Prince and our hero (otherwise known as Straggletag) formally met. The castle was in a flurry that day to get everything ready for the royal ball that Prince Phillip was throwing that evening. Clint was outside scrubbing the tile flooring so it could be nice and clean for any dancers taking an excursion outside when Prince Phillip almost tripped over him on his way inside.

Clint made a small whimper at the mud tracking through his clean floors, Prince Phillip had obviously just been in the woods hunting.

“Keep out of my way creature! Why are you crouching on the floor in such a manner?” Prince Phillip demanded.

Clint titled his head slightly to look up at the Prince, “I am scrubbing the floor sir, for the ball this evening”

The Prince huffed, “I see that creature…. Have you seen the cook anywhere?”

Clint shrugged his fur coat, “No sir, not recently”

The Prince hummed, “Well then, I wish you to tell the cook that I want goose for dinner”

Clint, thinking of his friends, looked up at the Prince. “Why?”

Prince Phillip, not used to being questioned, blinked. “Why what?”

“Why eat goose for dinner? The geese have done nothing to you”

The Prince huffed at the question, “Because _Straggletag,_ I enjoy goose and as the Prince, I will eat it when I want – deserving or no!”

Clint, knowing when to stop, just nodded but continued to stare at the prince. The Prince, still unused to this behavior, kicked his foot against Clint, knocking him forward. “Stop gawping!”

Clint just nodded from his position on the floor and waited for the Prince to leave before going back to his cleaning.

~

That night at the ball, Prince Phillip was sitting at the huge dinner table. In the middle of the table was the most succulent looking goose he had ever seen, but alas, he couldn’t eat it. For some reason, the creature’s words from the day had resonated in his head.

Disgusted with himself, Phillip rose from his seat and began the night’s dancing. The purpose of the ball was for Phillip to try and find an eligible Princess (or hopefully Prince) that would suit Phillip’s taste so that he could finally wed.

Phillip was dancing with a pretty (but slightly obnoxious) Princess from the neighboring kingdom to the west of their own, when the entire ball became silent.

Pulling away from the obnoxious Princess, Phillip turned and felt his jaw drop.

There, next to his Royal announcer, with the handsomest man he had ever seen in his life. The man was beautiful. He was dressed in a suit almost as pale as the moon. With blond hair, and pale blue eyes, Phillip took in the size of his arms and his sun-kissed skin; he must hunt in his spare time.

Brushing past all the other occupants in the room, Phillip went up to the man and bowed deeply, “Hello”

The man smiled and bowed back, “Hello Prince”

Smiling, Phillip took the man’s hand and led him to the dance floor.

The two men danced for hours, learning each other’s stories through glances and gentle touches.

It wasn’t until the clock struck twelve that the beautiful man pulled away and bowed deeply to Phillip before running out of the ballroom.

“Stop!” Cried Phillip, to no avail.

The man was gone, and Phillip was left alone to try and figure out who this man was.

 

*******

Clint was scrubbing the kitchen floors four days later when he heard talking from the other help.

“The Prince wants fresh towels sent up to his room!” One of the butlers spoke to the kitchen wenches.

The elder one rolled her eyes, “He’s asking too much, he is! Well someone will have to take them up”

The younger one shook her head, “No one has the time, what with us preparing for the royal ball tonight – crazy the Prince for having a ball so soon after the last one!”

The elder sighed, “You! Straggletag!”

Clint blinked and raised his head to look at the woman blankly.

“Yes you! Take these towels up to the Prince” The elder laundress held clean towels out to Clint.

Standing, Clint reached out and took the towels gently, making sure none of the dirt from the floors got onto them.

Walking upstairs to the Prince’s chambers, Clint knocked on the door and smoothed down the towels once again.

Prince Phillip opened the door and looked at Clint with thinly veiled disgust, and slight intrigue too.

Clint coughed, “You asked for towels?”

Prince Phillip gave Clint a once over, “I do _hope_ they’re clean”

Clint just cocked his head, “Do I disturb you?”

The Prince shook his head. “Rats eat cheese. Ducks float on water”

Clint blinked, “What does that have to do with it?”

The Prince rolled his eyes, “Some things have to do with each other, while others don’t. You don’t disturb me because I don’t think about you.”

Clint nodded, taking stock of that information for later. “Well then, I will be on my way”

Prince Phillip nodded, “Right. Please do stay off the upper levels”

Clint nodded once more and walked away slowly. Suddenly, a towel hit him in the head as the Prince’s voice rang throughout the hall, “Go on then!”

Sighing, Clint scampered out of the hall and back to his chambers below floors.

 

~

That night, Phillip waited in wait for his beautiful mystery man to arrive at the ball. The hour was later than the first ball when the silence rang out once again.

Turning, Phillip’s jaw dropped in awe once again. There, in the doorway, stood the man in a suit that shimmered like the stars. Gulping, Phillip hurried over to the man and took his hand.

The man smiled at Phillip and the two danced for hours.

It struck midnight once more when the man turned away from Phillip and began to leave.

Phillip chased after him, “What is your name?”

“I have none!” The voice answered

“Where do you live?” Phillip replied

The man ran away but Phillip could hear as clear as a bell, “Where rats float on water, and ducks eat cheese!”

“What?!” Laughed Phillip, with no answer.

_I must have another ball to find my sweetheart,_ he thought to himself.

 

*******

Phillip was contemplating having a third ball two days later when Straggletag (Clint) came upon him.

“Are you alright sire?” The creature asked Phillip as he passed him carrying two buckets full of what appeared to be dirty water.

Phillip sighed, “You know you are the only one in the kingdom who dares talk to me in such a way”

Straggletag just shrugged, “But are you okay sire?”

Phillip turned away from the creature and looked out at the skyline, “No I am not.”

The creature walked forward and stood next to Phillip, “Thinking of the handsome lord who you danced the night away with the past balls”

Phillip shook his head, “Are you a sorcerer as well as a beast? I am indeed thinking of that man”

“Do you love him?”

Phillip looked back at the Straggletag, and thought about it “I… I don’t know”

Straggletag smiled, “I am in love with a man”

Phillip’s eyebrows rose, “You? I am shocked”

The creature shrugged and smiled, “But I am. Whenever I see him, my stomach gets flutters, and my breath becomes shorter, and I can’t think about anything else in the world”

Phillip took all of this in and thought about him own reactions with the mystery man at the ball.

“Yes – we two are in love… But what to do?”

The creature hummed, “Well…. Do you love your love because of themselves...? Or their suits?”

Phillip turned to glare at the creature “The gowns have nothing to do with it! My sweetheart has the most beautiful eyes, and a luscious mouth. And his intelligence shines clear through his body”

The creature looked at Phillip, the stare searching his soul. It was disconcerting.

“So, would you love your sweetheart, if they didn’t have the suits?”

Phillip nodded, “Even in the ugliest of sacks I would love my sweetheart”

Straggletag smiled, “I will hold you to your promise”

Before Phillip could question this, the creature walked away from him.

  
~

Phillip was waiting outside the ball, his beloved having not arrived, despite the late hour.

“Will he come?” Phillip thought to himself.

At this same moment, Clint was in the kitchens with the wait staff, trying to clean the dishes.

“He’s still waiting!” One of the workers shouted to the room as he passed through.

“Will someone _please_ hand me the dishes!” Clint snapped.

“Oho! Looks like someone is in a hurry. Did you hear that ladies? The reason the Prince’s sweetheart ain’t here is because he’s doing the dishes!”

 

Phillip was just about to give up on his beloved when the man arrived in front of him on the steps. The man was in a suit bright as the sun, and Phillip couldn’t keep his eyes off the man. The two met at the same time, their hands clasping as they began to sway softly to the sound of nature.

Phillip couldn’t keep his eyes off the mystery man. His heart thumping in his chest as butterflies banged around in his stomach. Leaning in, Phillip was about to press his lips to his beloved’s, when the clock struck 1 AM. His beloved pulled away and began to run down the steps.

“Stop!!” Phillip called, to no avail.

However, when Phillip looked down, he spotted a golden slipper on one of the steps.

 

*******

The next the Prince announced to the whole kingdom, that whoever fit the golden slipper would become the Prince’s spouse.

Thousands upon thousands of men and women came to the palace to try on the golden slipper. All failed.

Clint heard of the Prince’s failings and thought about trying the shoe on himself, he would get his shoe back even if the Prince didn’t want to marry him.

Standing up, Clint climbed the stairs and went into the showing rom where they were trying the shoe on people.

Peaking around the door, Clint wash shocked to see Barney and Maria in the room with the Prince.

Clint watched as Maria tried on the shoe, and due to her small feet, was pushed aside in favor of Barney trying on the slipper.

Barney slipped on the show, and it fit (not like a glove, Clint knew that Barney’s shoes size was a ½ size bigger than his own).

Barney smirked and showed off his foot to the prince.

Phillip looked shocked “You can’t be it!”

“I am!” Barney snapped back.

Phillip gulped and looked down at the floor, “Alright. I will keep my promise and marry you, on the morrow”

Clint watched and waited for the moment where Barney would reveal the fact that the shoe did _not_ fit.

The palace crier looked at Barney, “We have found the man who fit the golden slipper! Prince-” trailing off, the crier looked at Barney.

“Prince Barney”

“Prince Barney! From-”

“From faraway”

“Prince Barney, from far away, son of…?”

Barney huffed, “Son of nobody!” Smiling, Barney turned to Phillip while Clint’s heart was breaking. “Mom died when we were children, and daddy a year ago. Now it’s just me and Maria in our huge kingdom”

The Royal crier nodded, “Prince Barney, from faraway, son of… nobody… Will marry the Prince on the morrow”

Barney smirked, “Great… Now, I believe I’m going to take off this slipper”

Phillip finally looked up, “Why?”

Barney gave off a tiny laugh, “Well it doesn’t match my outfit…. Also, it is just a teeny bit tight. In fact, I may just have to yell a tiny bit”

Biting his lip, Barney grabbed Maria’s arm and gave a small shout. “This shoe needs to get _off_ my foot!”

Smirking, Phillip got down on his knees and slipped the shoe off “Nice try, good sir. But you are not my beloved”

Clint, seeing his chance, stepped into the room “Sire? I would like my chance to try on the golden slipper”

Barney and Maria both looked at Clint in disgust, “Ew! Get it away!” Screeched Maria.

Phillip looked at the Straggletag, taking in the man’s appearance and feeling something there that he had never let himself feel before.

Clint tilted his head, “Will you keep your promise sir?”

Barney and Maria gasped, “Ew! No way!” But Phillip finally clued in.

Nodding, Phillip pointed to the shoe, “Yes. I will keep my promise”

Clint smiled and walked to the shoe, waiting for Barney and Maria to move before slipping the shoe on.

Barney and Maria’s mouths dropped open, “It fits!” They screeched in unison.

“It fits” Phillip said with a smile.

Clint just smiled in return, closing his eyes as his animal friends began to fill the room. He felt his fur coat being shed until he was left in the suit that was bright as the sun.

“Clint!” Gasped Barney and Maria.

Phillip grinned and walked towards Clint, offering his hand. Clint took the offered hand, “Well? Are you going to keep your promise sire?”

Phillip smiled, “I will definitely keep my promise, my Straggletag”

Clint laughed and pressed closer to Phillip for a kiss. When their lips parted moments later, Clint looked into Phillip’s eyes. “Call me Clint”

 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, other fairy tales, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


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